Saturday, October 24, 2015

Mikveh OK In Area Zoned For Places of Worship

In Matter of Winterton Properties, LLC v Town of Mamakating Zoning Board of Appeals, (NY App., OCT. 22, 2015), a New York state appellate court held that the term "neighborhood places of worship" in a town's zoning law includes a mikveh (Jewish ritual bath). The proposed mikveh is located in an area zoned for neighborhood places of worship, but the city claimed that the term only includes places of communal worship. The appeals court concluded: "The terms of the ordinance do not support this requirement, nor do we find it to be either established or supported by the dictionary definition..." [Thanks to Steven H, Sholk for the lead.]